, 1887-05-12
ORDEAL BY FIRE.

over bridges and around curves, as II bent
Oh self-destruction. The engine, with its
eye and heart Of fire, careered over the
dizzy heights of lofty ~trestles like some
sentient thing, glorying In a sense of
danger.
But the speed was tame to Emily Fow-
Ter, with that throbbing Impotence in her
veins.
'Come at once; he wishes to see you be-
fore he dies, " the telegram had said. Oh,
would the train never reach the city, He
was dying-dying under a shadow, and
she was the cause. II he could but live a
month, a week, even a single day longer,
until her confession should flash around
the world, soaring, as with a tongue of
flame, the SANDER that had plucked him
from his high place among his fellowsl
AT last she stood OIL the platform of the
depot, in the midst of the city's gloom and
roar, She had u shrinking fear of recog-
milton, though she had been n stranger to
her native place five years.
She took a carriage to W street, in
the suburbs. Within n few blocks of the
house she paid the man and dismissed
him, then walked up to the gate that
opened upon the rather spacious grounds.
The hospitable, old fashioned house stood
under the shade of ~buttonwood trees.
The hall was brightly lighted, and the
windows OF the chamber where he was
lying cleaned dimly.
She rang the bell and waited. Was it
in some other life she had used to walk in
there TO seek counsel and sympathy from
him, her pastor, when his gentle faced
sister, now dead, had met her with warm
solicitude, and when he was sailing upon
the crest Of the of popularity in the
full perfection of his splendid powers.
a uutpT midtlp upp1 woman nuapad
the door. She was his housekeeper. Mrs.
Fowler she said, inquiringly. "Yes,'
in answer to the anxious inquiry in the
eyes OF the unhappy lady, ''he is yet
living" and she led the way into the dim
parlor, then went upstairs to announce
the visitor.
o familiar the surroundings seemed
His trouble had not uprooted him from
the spot that was his by. Inheritance. He
had lived here II recluse since the death Of
his sister, with his books and literary
work. He TODD no longer at the sacred
desk. He had steadily refused the large
inducements offered him by lecture bu
reaus, refusing to trade on his blackened
reputation.
The housekeeper returned and con-
Quoted her up stairs. The nurse went out
as she entered, u the two were left
alone together for the last act of the
tragedy.
The room was large and lofty, with
dark window drapery sweeping from the
ceiling to the floor The dark walls were
hung with paintings, among them a King
LeRr wrestling in the midnight tempest
with his awful madness and despair.
Gregory Bancroft lay there with the tall
bedstead towering above his head, a
massive Titan of majestic soul. The
strong, grand a bore the impress OF his
grief. Yet his mighty heart had not
broken. 1t had expanded with its great
throes Of sorrow until it was ready to be
born into a new kingdom.
She stood beside the bed. He reached
out n hand, as II to welcome her.
~ cannot take your handV' she cried.
''Your life has been ruined through me.
How can you forgiven
She was kneeling beside the bed with
clasped hands and a face OF anguish, In
strong contrast to the high, almost
sublime, expression Of the face on the
pillow.
"How can 1 forgiven Because / have
absolved you in my thoughts" he said.
81 know that it was the overmastering
will Of your husband hat made you the
instrument of wrong to me. / knew that
you were not morally responsible for the
lie wrung from you on your sick bed. /
understood your peculiar organization far
better h you KNEW l knew you could
be compelled, mesmerized by a stronger
will, in certain nervous states that rem
dered you highly susceptible"
She looked at him with a kind of dim
wonder that he had SO truly interpreted
the situation.
But you did not know, " she FASTENED
to say, you did not know what a coward
j became when / was once more mistress
of myself and became aware what n tissue
OF falsehoods had been woven to ensnare
you. | declared would speak AMI do my
share toward righting the wrong. He
threatened to confine me in an insane
asylum. | Knew he would fulfill his
threat. 1t seemed to me at last that |
was insane. He held me under the bond
age Of his will. But l will make the con-
fession now, though he kill me-"
Gregory Bancroft had thought himself
above emotion, and that the high, holy
calm that had come to him after the CON
hict could not again be o by n sight
of the woman he once owe But he had
miscalculated his strength. The mngnif-
cent organization that had touched earth
at so many oints-the powerful, passion
ate nature was stirred again to its depths.
She was one of those slight, seemingly
fragile women who, with no apparent po-
tent physical charin, are yet possessed of
some strange magnetic power over the
lives Of the strong and self sufficient
among men, n power as ineXplicable as it
is unconscious to themselves.
She lifted her head from the bed and
met his eyes. Something in them unsealed
her lips.
Il loved you" she said. II will CON
TESS it now in the awful presence of death,
and let God be my judge. l was an I'M
loved wife. l learned to love the air you
breathed. You seemed high and grand
and ~passionless. l was safe. /
worshiped you. 1t was heaven to touch
your hand. > . Oh, God, that /
should have been the aus of YOU r1inl'
YES" he said, with a strong effort to
be calm, Il knew you were mine. knew
that every pulse and fiber was under my
control. knew that by the laws of our
What you need is a medicine which is